NAACP Condemns Jury Acquittal in Subway Chokehold Death, Citing Danger to Civil Rights and Mental Health Crisis Management

WASHINGTON – A jury acquitted white New Yorker Daniel Penny who was charged with the death of Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old Black man suffering a mental health episode on a subway. The decision concluded after five days of deliberation on Dec. 9th, 2024, sparking significant controversy. Neely, reportedly in crisis, died from a chokehold administered by Penny, which has reignited intense discussions around vigilantism, racial justice, and responses to mental health crises in the United States. In a strongly worded statement, NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson expressed profound disappointment in the verdict. Johnson criticized … Read more

Jury Clears Daniel Penny in Subway Chokehold Case, Rejects Criminally Negligent Homicide Charge

NEW YORK – A jury acquitted Daniel Penny of criminally negligent homicide on Monday in the death of Jordan Neely, after more than a week of deliberations. The case had garnered significant attention due to the circumstances surrounding Neely’s death – he was put in a chokehold on a subway car in May 2023. The jury had spent over 24 hours across five days to arrive at this decision. Deliberations continued into this week over whether the act constituted criminally negligent homicide, following a deadlock on an earlier, more serious charge of manslaughter. At the … Read more

NYC Jury Acquits Marine Veteran in Subway Chokehold Case After Intense Deliberations

NEW YORK – Daniel Penny, a 26-year-old Marine veteran, was acquitted of criminally negligent homicide in a New York City court following the chokehold death of Jordan Neely on a subway. The not guilty verdict was delivered after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous decision on the more severe charge of second-degree manslaughter, which was then dismissed by the judge. The jury deliberated for over 20 hours before concluding that Penny, who had previously pleaded not guilty to both charges, did not commit criminally negligent homicide. Upon hearing the verdict, Penny appeared relieved, and … Read more

Daniel Penny Acquitted in Jordan Neely Chokehold Death After Lengthy Deliberations

NEW YORK — After extensive deliberations spanning more than a week, Daniel Penny was acquitted of criminally negligent homicide in the death of Jordan Neely, a decision reached by jurors on Monday. The verdict followed heated legal debates and civil unrest outside the courthouse, highlighting a case that has stirred emotions and raised questions about public safety and individual actions. The jury, which spent over 24 hours across five days in decision-making, initially found themselves deadlocked on a more severe charge of manslaughter last week. This led prosecutors, guided by Judge Maxwell Wiley, to drop … Read more